Combined typewriting and computing machine



H. L. PITMAN.

COMBINED TYPEWRITING AND COMPUTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IULY 2' I918.

Patented) Feb. 22, 1921.

W/fnesses- H. L. PITMAN.

COMBINED TYPEWRITING AND COMPUTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2.1918- Patented Feb. 22,1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- I k/gyenfo/j' A ffqr UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY L. PITMAN, 0F ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD COM. PUTING MACHINE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

' COMBINED TYPEWRITING AND COMPUTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1921.

e To all whom it may concern of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Type,

writing and Computing Machines, of which the following is a specification;

My invention relates to computing machines, and is illustrated as a plied to an Underwood Addendagraph. uch a machine may be described as an Underwood typewriting machine having a carriage, which includes not only a typewriter platen, but also a computing totalizer, the latter comprising computing wheels adapted to engage serz'afz'm with a master wheel to be turned thereby. desirable to build the carriage so that the totalizer shall engage the master wheel with a high degree of accuracy, so that no appreciable lost-motion may interfere with the accurate turning of thewheels.

Said carriage heretofore usually included tracks, which faced cooperating tracks on the frame of the machine, with'interposed roller bearings. To withstand hard usage, all the tracks are usually made of extremely hard metal, and form a rigid guide for the traveling carriage. Another rigid guide for the traveling carriage was formed by the rear rail. The material of the tracks is likely to warp in the working, and hardening', and this is aggravated by the' fact that the two sets of front tracks form a triangle with the rear carriage rail, so'that it has proved expensive to make machines in which the carriage travels easily on all of its tracks, and at the same time effectively operate the totalizer.

According to the present invention, this difficulty may be minimized or avoided by making the rear part of the typewriter carriage in some respects movable relatively to the front bar of the carriage, the front bar being accurately guided for the effective operation of the totalizer, as by making a flexible connection between the front bar and the rear partof the typewriter carriage.

The rear rail of the typewriter carriage will usually be located sufficiently accu- In such machines, it is rately with reference thereto if assembled n the rdinary way. In carrying out this invention, it has been found possible to lltlllZQWl'lat has hitherto been the rear bearmg rail of the carriage, and to utilize also any one of the several forms of rails adjacent to the totalizer hitherto used.

The desired flexibility has been gained by connecting the front bar at each end to the rest of the carriage by means of a pm, which may slide freely in and out of the front bar, and also mayhave a limited swinging movement relatively Owing to the usual lightness and springiness of the rear bar and the two side arms of the carriage, the latter is quite flexible, inasmuch as according to the present invention the front corners are hinge-jointed instead of having the usual rigid construclon.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a side View of the upper part of'an Underwood Addendagraph, show 'ing my invention as applied thereto.

numeral key swings its type 10 upwardly and rearwardly against the front side of the platen 11, a denominational selector in the form of a master wheel 12 is turned an extent depending on the-numeral key depressed, and thereby turns the active computing wheel 13 in a totalizer 14. The typewriter carriage 15, in the rear part of which the platen 11 is journaled. is drawn along by a spring barrel (not shown) and is controlled by escapement mechanism indicated in'general at 16. The rear part of the carriage is supported on a round fixed rail 17, against which bear guide wheels 17. 7'

The bearing wheels 17' are jou'rnaled in fixed lugs 18 fast to the typewriter car-' riage, and closely fit the rail 17. There is a set of such bearing wheels near each end of the carriage, with the result that the carriage is freely but rigidly guided. The rear carriage rail 17 may be mounted in the usual manner, and the adjustment of the platen relatively to the rail may be effected by the usual adjusting members which are adapted to draw the ends of the carriage frame 15 independently forwardly and rearwardly. The carriage extends forwardly of the platen 11, to a point adjacent the usual scale 20 on the usual front bar of the machine. Attached to front tierod or stiffening bar 21 of the carriage, by screws 22, is at each end a rising arm 23 which has a forwardly-extending part 24 reaching out clear of the scale plate 20 and over front vertical standard 25, on which are mounted rails 26, 26 to serve as a front or complementary track for the carriage 15.

By means of its front bar 27, which forms a computer truck, the typewriter carriage 15 is also mounted on front roller bearings 28. The front bar 27 comprises two upper track faces 29 and 30 atright angles to each other forming a V, to face two similar faces 31 and 32 cut in the lower side of the upper front rail 26 which forms the front of the machine frame above the scale plate Between the two tracks 29 and 30 on the front bar 27 and the two front tracks 31 and 32 on the frame are interposed the cross roller bearings 28. The lower surface on the front carriage bar 27 and the upper surface on the lower front rail 26 are similarly formed with tracks, which have similar roller bearings 28 between them.

The arms 24 are provided each with a forwardly-extending finger or pin 34, which fits closely but movably into an opening 35 in the front carriage bar 27, to make an effective joint, and to support at the front the rear platen-carrying part of the carriage on the front carriage bar 27. The fingers 34 may move freely in said holes or openings 35 in several directions, but not in the direction of the travel of the carriage. For this purpose, the pins are herein shown as approximately cylindrical, and the holes 35 are shown as having a very short barrel 36, Fig. 3, which closely fits the pins, and relatively large flaring or beveled ends 37, at each face of the bar 27, so that the pins may have freedom to rock in said holes. Moreover, the pins 34 are free to slide in and out of the holes 35.

Since the totalizer must be supported in such a way that its computing wheels 13 shall be in accurate register with the master wheel 12, at each step of the carriage movement, means are provided for adjusting the registering position of the totalizer-carrying carriage bar 27 in letter-feeding direction relatively to the usual letter-feeding rack of the carriage. For this purpose, the pins 34, instead .of being mounted directly on the extensions 24 of the arms 23, are mounted on elbow plates 38 which embrace two sides of said extensions and are held thereto by screws 39 threaded into the arm extensions and passing through elongated openings 40 in the elbow plates 38. To adjust the totalizer, therefore, into register with the master wheel, it is only necessary to loosen the screws 39 and locate the totalizer bar 27 properly and then tighten the screws.

Heretofore it has been necessary for said carriage to travel upon two (or three) rigid tracks, having several rolls running upon each track in such a manner that it was necessary to make all surfaces of both or all tracks with highest accuracy. in order to permit free movement of the carriage. The cost of making and assembling two or more tracks at different parts of the type writer frame and in such highly accurate relationship to each other was very great. since each track of itself had a large measure of control over the typewriter carriage. It is of course understood that at least two tracks must be employed, commonly a front track and a rear track, and in such case the front track is indispensable, as without it the carriage would not travel. thereartrack alone being insufii'cient', and in order to enable theacarriage to travel on both tracks, and at the same time avoid the expense referred to of making the tracks agree, the carriage is made according to my invention, of two parts, which are closely jointed together toform a unitary carriage, but at the same time the joints have in certain r'espects a slight freedom, said joints forming flexible front corners of the rectangular carriage frame, whereby the carriage as a unit is given a slight degree of flexibility to enable it to adapt itself to minute irregularities or differences in the front and rear tracks. In other words, a minute movement of one part relatively to the part jointedthereto is permitted, sufficient to compensate for any slight disagreements which are apt to arise in manufacturing the front and rear tracks, but without impairing the accuracy of movement of either the platen or the totalizer, both of which are mounted upon said carriage.

For example, supposing that the rear track or rail 17 has been made a trifle too high or is not exactly straight. In such a case, as will be understood, the tendency of the front track would be to compel the carriage to travel in an exactly true course, the typewriter carriage having been made in one rigid piece, or in pieces rigidly fixed together. The result has been that the typewriter carriage would not travel freely.

But, according to the present invention, the rear portion of the carriage can swing up and down a minute distance, rocking on the pins 34 and moving pivotally on the rear rail 17, or can move forward and back, or may be twisted in any plane, relatively to its front portion, owing to the flexible front corners of the carriage frame; the forming of the oppositely-flaring sockets 35 for the pins 34 permitting a minute hinge ction at these joints, and the pins 3 1 also being free to slide forward and back in the holes 35. Hence the carriage can travel freely; If the rear track should be too high or too low at either end or in the middle, the rear carriage part is sufficiently flexible to accommodate the discrepancy, this flexibility being favored by the provision of thehorizontal pivot pin 34 fitting to slide and rock in the round hole 35 at each .end. Still other advantages will appear. v

To assist in individually adjusting the front rails 26 and 26, which form the guideway for the front carriage bar 27, so as to establish parallelism and the proper distance therebetween, there may be provided adjusting screws 41. It will be seen that with this arrangement of screws each rail is adjustable relatively to the machine frame,

and that the rails are adjustable relatively.

to each other.

Variations maybe resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others;

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a two-part carriage, including connecting means for connecting together the two parts of the carriage to move together longitudinally without longitudinal movement relatively to each other while providing for movement relatively to each other in other directions, combined supporting and guiding means for guiding one of said carriage parts to move longitudinally only while preventing its movement transversely and angularly, and other combined supporting and guiding means for guiding the other carriage part to move longitudinally while providing for its movement pivotally in a transverse direction so that it is in part supported by the first carriage part and each carriage part is guided independentlyof the other, whereby'inaccuracies in guiding causing lack of parallel longitudinal movement between the two parts of the carriage will be compensated for by relative transverse movement between the two carriage parts made possible by said connecting means.

2. In a combined typeivriting and computing machine, the combination ofa two-part carriage of which one part forms a computer truck and of which the other part together with the computer truck forms a typewriter carriage, such carriage including connecting means for connecting together the two parts of the carriage to move together longitudinally without longitudinal movement relatively to each other while providing for movement relatively to each other in other directions, combined supporting and guiding means for guidingthe computertruck carriage part to move longitudinally only while preventing its movement transversely and angularly, other combined supporting and guiding means for guiding the other carriage part to move longitudinally while providing for its movement pivotally in a transverse direction so that it is in part sup ported by the computer truck carriage part and each carriage part is guided independently of the other, whereby inaccuracies in the guiding means causing lack of parallel movement between the tWo parts of the carriage will be compensated for by relative transverse movement between the two carriage parts made possible by said connecting means, a totalizer carried by the computer truck carriage part, a denominational selector for the totalizer, and a typewriter platen carried by the other carriage part.

3. In a combined typewriting and computing machine, the combination with a traveling carriage, having a frame portion and a bar portion, of a totalizer mounted on said bar, adjustable rails for guiding said bar, to hold it rigidly against transverse movement, a platen, on said carriage, a rail to cooperate with said rails to support and guide said carriage, beveled openings being provided in said bar, and pins adjustable on said frame and mounted to slide freely in said openings, but fitting them closely to cause said carriage portions to travel as a unit.

4. In a combined typewriting and computing machine, the combination with a traveling carriage, having a frame portion and a bar portion, of a totalizer mounted on said bar, adjustable rails for guiding said bar, to hold it rigidly against transverse movement, a platen, on said carriage, a rail to cooperate with said rails to support and guide-said carriage, beveled openings being provided in said bar, pins on said frame and mounted to slide freely in said openings, but fitting them closely to cause said carriage ortions to travel as a unit, and adjustab e mountings for said pins on the frame of the carriage. 4

- 5. In a combined typewriting and computing machine, the combination with a traveling carriage having a platen portion and a totalizer portion, of rails for supporting and guiding said totalizerportion against transverse movement and independently of the platen portion, a rail forsaid platen portion for supporting and guiding it longitudinally only independently of the totalizer portion while leaving it free to move pivotally transversely, and connections between the carriage portions whereby the platen portion may 7 move slightly transversely relatively to said totalizer portion, of rai s for supporting and guiding said totalizer portion against transverse movement and independently of the platen port1on, a rail for said platen port1on for supporting and guiding it longitudinally only independently of the totalizer portion while leaving it free to move pivotally transversely, connections between the carriage portions whereby the platen portion may move slightly transversely relatively to said totalizer portion, but always moves longitudinally therewith, and means for effecting fine adjustments of the totalizer portion and the platen portion longitudinally relatively to each other.

7. In a combined typewriting and computing machine, the combination of a platen, a frame upon which said platen is mounted, arms upon the frontof said frame, a bar loosely connected to said arms to move longitudinally with the frame and to permit relative slight transverse movement between the frame and the bar, rails supporting and guiding said bar to move longitudinally and preventing other movements thereof. a totalizer upon said bar, the front of said frame being supported upon said bar, and a third rail in rear of the frame and forming a support and guide for the frame for guiding the frame to move longitudinally while leaving it free to be supported at the front by said bar.

8. In a combined t'ypewriting and computing machine, the combination of a platen, a frame upon which said platen is mounted, arms upon the front of said frame, a bar loosely connected to said arms to move longitudinally with the frame and to permit relative slight transverse movement between the frame and the-bar, rails supporting and guiding said bar to move longitudinally and reventing other movements thereof. a totallzer upon said bar, the front of said frame being supported upon said bar, a third rail in rear of the frame and forming a support and guide for the frame to guide the frame to move longitudinally and to leave it free to be supported at the front by said ba and devices whereby the frame may be adjusted longitudinally of the bar.

9. In a combined typewriting' and computing machine, the combination of a master wheel, a traveling carriage comprising a totalizer-carrying and a platen-carrying portion, the totalizer-carrying portion partly supporting the platen-carrying portion, and the two carriage portions being connected to travel together 1n letter-feeding direction and so as to permit a slight play between said portions in a direction at right angles to the letter-feeding movement of the carriage, a totalizer comprising computing wheels operable by the master wheel, said totalizer being mounted on the totaliZer-carrying portion of the carriage, a' platen carried by the other portion of the carriage, a guideway for guiding the totalizer-carrying portion of the carriage for longitudinal letter-feeding movement only while preventing other movements, and guiding means for the platen-carrying portion of the carriage providing for the support of the platen-carrying carriage portion partly on the totalizercarrying carriage portion while each carriage portion is guided independently of the other in the letter-feeding movement of the carriage.

10. A typewriter having, in combination, a carriage comprising two portions, guiding means for preventing movement of the first of said portions except longitudinally, guiding means constructed to prevent bodily lateral movement of the second portion while guiding it longitudinally and providing for transverse rocking movement thereof about its guiding means, said portions being flexibly connected to complete the carriage and enable the same to be guided by said first and second guiding means ointly while the two carriage portions move together longitudinally but by reason of said flexible connection are free. to move relatively to each other transversely, and a computing mechanism including a master member and a totalizer member, one of said computing members being mounted upon the first of said carriage portions and the other upon the framework of the machine.

11. A typewriter having, in combination, a carriage comprising two portions, guiding means for preventing movement of the first of said portions except longitudinally, guiding means constructed to prevent bodily lateral movement of the second portion while guiding it longitudinally and providing for transverse rocking movement thereof, said portions being flexibly connected to complete the carriage and enable the same to be guided by said first and second guiding means jointly, so that the two carriage portions move together longitudinally and by reason of said flexible connection are free to move relatively to each other transversely. and a computing mechanism including a master member and a totalizer member. one of said computing members being mounted upon the first of said carriage portions and the other upon the framework of the machine, the first of said guiding means being arranged at the front of the typewriter carriage, and the second at the rear thereof,

and said carriage portions being jointed' pivotal rocking movement of the carriage portion thereon so as to permit this carriage portion to be partly supported by the other carriage portion.

13. A. typewriter having, in combination, a carriage comprising two portions, connecting means by which said portions are flexibly connected together, to enable one of said portions to be partly supported by the other thereof, and separate tracks for said portions, each constructed to guide its carriage portion independently of the other portion rigidly against bodily lateral movement, said connecting means being in the form of pins at the ends of one carriage portion, to fit movably in sockets in the ends of the other carriage portion, to connect the carriage portions to'move together 1ongitudinally and to permit relative transverse movement of said portions, and one of the tracks being constructed to permit pivotal rocking movement of the carriage portion thereon to provide for this carriage portion being partly supported by the other carriage portion.

let. A typewriter having, in combination, a carriage comprising two portions flexibly connected together, to enable one of said portions to be partly supported by the other thereof, and separate tracks for said portions, each constructed to guide its carriage portion independently of the other portion rigidly against bodily lateral movement, a platen carried by one of said portions, one of said tracks being a cylindrical guide-rod on which said platen portion is free to move both longitudinally and pivotally, and the other of said tracks comprising a plurality of devices by which said other portion is rigidly guided longitudinally and prevented from moving in other directions; said other portion carrying a member of a computing mechanism.

15. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a two-part carriage, including connecting means for connecting together the two parts of the carriage to move together longitudinally without longitudinal movement relatively to each other while providing for movement relatively to each other in other directions, combined supporting and guiding means for-guiding one of said carriage parts to move longitudinally only while preventing its movement transversely and angularly, and other combined supporting and guiding means for guiding the. other carriage part to move longitndinally while providing for its movement pivotally in a transverse direction, so that it is in part supported by the first carriage part and each carriage part is guided independently of the other, whereby inaccuracies in guiding causing lack of parallel longitudinal movement between the two parts of the carriage will be compensated for by relative transverse movement between the porting and guiding means for guiding one I of said carriage parts to move longitudinally only while preventing its movement transversely and angularly. and other combined supporting and guiding means for guiding the other carriage part to move longitudinally while providing 'for its movement piv- "otally in a transverse direction, so that it is in part supported by the first carriage part and each carriage part is guided independently of the other, whereby inaccuracies in guiding causing lack of parallel longitudinal movement between the two parts of the carriage will be compensated for by relative transverse movement between the two carriage parts made possible by said connecting means; said connecting'means comprising an opening in one of Said carriage parts and a pin carried by and projecting from the other said carriage part into said opening to slide therein in and out, the shape of said opening and pin being such as to provide for both pivotal and angular movement of'the pin in the opening in addition to itssliding movement therein.

17. In a typewriting machine. thecombination of a two-part carriage. including connecting means for connecting together the two parts of the carriage to move together longitudinally without longitudinal movement relatively to each other while providing for movement relatively to each other in other directions. combined support-. ing and guiding means for guiding one of said carriage parts to move longitudinally only while preventing its movement transversely and angularly, and other combined supporting and guiding means for guiding the other carriage part to move longitudinally While providing for its movement pivotally in a transverse direction, so that it is in part supported by the first carriage part and each carriage part is guided independently of the other. whereby inaccuracies in guiding causing lack of parallel longitudinal movement between the two parts of the carriage will be compensated for by relative transverse movement between the two carriage parts made possible by said connecting means: said connecting means comprising a pair of projecting pins carried by one ofsaid carriage parts in spaced relation longitudinally thereof and pin-receiving holes provided in the other said carriage part and in which said pins are free to slide in and out.

18. In a typewriting machine. the combination of a two-part carriage. including connecting means for connecting together the two parts of the carriage to move together longitudinally without longitudinal movement relatively to each other while providing for movement relatively to each other in other directions. combined supporting and guiding means for guiding one of said carriage parts to move longitudinally only while preventing its movement transversely and angularly. and other combined supporting and guiding means for guiding the other carriage part to move longitudinally while providing for its movement pivotally in atransverse direction. so that it is in part supported by the first carriage part and each carriage part is guided in( ependently of the other. whereby inaccuracies in guiding causing lack of parallel longitudinal movement between the two parts of the carriage will be compensated for by relative transverse movement between the two carriage parts made possible by said connecting means; said connecting means comprising a pair of projecting pins carried by one of said carriage parts in spaced relation longitudinally thereof and pin-receiving holes provided in the other said carriage part and in which said pins are free to slide in and out, the shape of the cooperating pins and holes being such as also to provide for pivotal and angular movement of the pins in the holes.

19. In a combined typewriting and computing machine, the combination of a twopart carriage of which one part forms a computer truck and or" which the other part together with the computer truck forms a typewriter carriage. such carriage including connecting means for connecting together the two parts of the carriage to move together longitudinally without longitudinal.

movement relatively to each other while providing for movement relatively to each other in other directions, combined supporting and guiding means for guiding the computer truck carriage part to move longitudinally in part supported by the computer truck carriage part and each carriage part is guided independently of the other, whereby inaccuracies in the guiding means causing lack of parallel movement between the two parts of the carriage will be compensated for by relative transverse movement between the two carriage parts made possible by said connecting means, atotalizer carried by the computer truck carriage part, a denominational selector for the totalizer, and a typewriter platen carried by the other carriage part; said connecting means comprising an opening provided in one of said carriage parts and a pincarried by the other said carriage part to slide in and out of said opening.

20. In a combined typewriting and computing machine, the combination of a twopart carriage of which one part forms a computer truck and of which the other part together with the computer truck forms a typewriter carriage, such carriage including connecting means for connecting together the two parts of the carriage to move together longitudinally without longitudinal movement relatively to each other while providing for movement relatively to each other in other directions, combined supporting and guiding means for guiding the computer truck carriage part to move longitudinally only while preventing its movement transversely and angular-1y, other combined supporting and guiding means for guiding the other carriage part to move 1ongitudinally while providing for its movement pivotally in a transverse direction. so that it is in part supported by the computer truck carriage part and each carriage part is guided independently of the other. whereby inaccuracies in the guiding means causing lack of parallel movement between the two parts of the carriage will be compensated for by relative transverse movement between the two carriage parts made pos sible by said connecting means. a totalizer carried by the computer truck carriage part, a denominational selector for the totalizer. and a typewriter platen carried by the other carriage part; said connecting means comprising an opening in one of said carriage parts and a pin carried by and projecting from the other said carriage part into said opening to slide therein in and out. the shape of said opening and pin being such as to provide for both pivotal and angular movement of the pin in the opening in ad- I dition to its sliding movement therein. .21. In a combined typewriting and computing machine, the combination of a twopart carriage of which one part forms a computer truck and of which the other palt together with the com uter truck form a typewriter carriage, suc carriage including connecting means for connecting together the two parts of the carriageto move toing and guiding means for guiding the computer truck carria e part to move longitudinally only whi e preventing its movement transversely and angularly, other combined sup orting and guiding means for guiding t e other carriage part to move ongitudinall while provi ing for its movement pivota ly in a traverse direction so that it is in part supported by the computer truck carri part and each carriage part is guided in ependently of the other, whereby inaccuracies in the guiding means causing lack of arallel movement between the two dparts o the carriageswill be compensate for by relative transverse movement between the two carriage parts made ossible by saidv connecting means, a totahzer carried by the computer truck carriage art, a denommational selector for the tota izer, and a typewriter platen carried by the other carriage part; said connectin prisin a air of projecting pms carried by one o sai carriage parts m'spaced relation lon itudinally thereof and pinreceiving hol s provided in the other said carriage part and in which said pins are free to slide in and out.

22. In a combined-typewriting and computing-machine, the combination of a twomeans compart carriage of which one art forms a computer truck and of which t e other part together with the computer truck forms a typewriter carriage, such carriage including connecting means for connecting togetherthe two parts of the carriage to move together longitudinally without longitudinal movement relatively to each other while providing for movementrelatively to each other in other directions, combined supportguiding the other carriage part to move longitudinally while providing vfor its movement pivotally in a transverse direction, so

that it is in part supported by the computer trucl: carriage. part and each carriage part is guided independently of the other,

whereby inaccuracies in the guidin means causing lack of parallel movement tween the two parts of the carriage will be compensated for by relative transverse movement between the two: carriage parts made possible by said connecting means, a'totalizer carried by the computer truck carriage part, a denominational selector for the totalizer, and a typewriter platen carried by the other carriage part; said connecting means comprising a pair of projecting pins carriedjby one of said carriage parts in' spaced relatlon longitudinally thereof: and

pin-receiving holes provided in the other said carriage part and in which said ins are free tosllde in and out, the shape 0 the cooperating pins and holes bein suchcas also to provide for pivotal an angular movement of the ins in the holes.

v ENRY L. PITMAN.

WVitnesses:

CATHERINE A. NEWELL, Enrrn B. Lnmr. 

